Healthy Trails to You, Keep Smilin' Until Then
I just registered online for Healthy Trails, a new fitness program sponsored by the Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation that challenges folks "to walk, roll, ride or run at least 5 of the 21 featured Santa Clara County Park trails". If participants complete the challenge within 12 months, they will receive a completion reward1.
To encourage people of all fitness levels to participate, the 21 trails are broken into three categories: easy, moderate, and strenuous. There are 9 easy, 6 moderate, and 6 strenuous trails listed in the guidebook. Easy trails are 1 to 2.5 miles long and mostly flat. (Three trails listed as easy are significantly longer than 2.5 miles, but they are bicycle trails, so I guess they can slide.) Moderate trails are 2 to 5 miles long and have an elevation gain between 200 and 1000 feet. Strenuous trails are 5 miles long or more and have an elevation gain of 1000 feet or more.
Geographically speaking, the program has a good mix of parks. It covers all four corners of the county park system -- Ed R. Levin to the north, Joseph D. Grant to the east, Mt. Madonna to the south, and Upper Stevens Creek to the west. Numerically speaking, of the 28 parks, 15 are included in the challenge.
On its face, it seems like a good program. It will be interesting to see who participates. I wonder if it will it only be people who already get outside and exercise. I also wonder if the county will step up the program's marketing campaign, since I haven't seen a single poster, banner, or bus advertisement for it yet.
While I'm tempted to try to complete all 21 trails, I'm going to focus on finishing the six strenuous ones. I made a quick crib sheet of them for future reference.
| County Park | City | Trails | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calero | San Jose | Figueroa/Javelina/Pena/Los Cerritos | 6.2 |
| Joseph D. Grant | San Jose Grant | Lake/Halls Valley/Canada de Pala/Pala Seca/Las Huecos | 9.2 |
| Mt. Madonna | Watsonville | Merry-Go-Round/Loop/Blackhawk/Contour/Ridge | 5.3 |
| Sanborn | Saratoga | San Andreas/Sanborn Trail | 9.5 |
| Santa Teresa | San Jose | Hidden Springs/Coyote Peak/Rocky Ridge/Mine Loop | 3.5 |
| Upper Stevens Creek | Cupertino | Grizzley Flat | 6.8 |
By the way, if the classic song by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had actually been "Healthy Trails", I'm guessing it might not have caught on so well.
1 I don't know what that reward will be, but if it doesn't rhyme with otter coddle, I'll be happily surprised.
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Last Friday, I was determined to go hiking and nothing was going to stop me. "If the President calls, tell him he'll have to wait his turn," I told Abby. "Mt. Madonna called first." Abby, by the way, is our... Read More
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I signed up too! 2 free gifts and a guidebook, I'm on it. I'm inviting my friends too. Maybe I'll see u on the trail.
> It will be interesting to see who participates. I wonder if it will it only be people who already get outside and exercise.
I don't, but I've been thinking about it (partly because reading about hiking adventures is so wonderful). So I just signed up. Thanks for helping me get off my duff!
Ann: Excellent! We'll have to see if we can gather a few folks to hike a trail or two together.
Elke: That's wonderful you signed up. That means we'll be reading about your adventures on the trail, too, right? :)